Prevalence of talon cusp in the North Indian population

Aim: Talon cusp is an uncommon dental anomaly seen commonly in the maxillary anterior. Mostly asymptomatic, it can result in functional and esthetic problems. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of talon cusp in the North Indian population. Materials and Methods: The data was collected from the radiographic examination of 6048 periapical films showing 18,754 teeth from a random sample of 3320 patients attending the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. A tooth with a superimposed V-shape radiopaque structure was considered having a talon cusp. Results: Talon cusp was detected in 122 teeth with a tooth prevalence of 0.65. Maxillary lateral incisors were the most commonly affected teeth (86 teeth, 70.5%), followed by maxillary canines (24 teeth, 19.7%) and maxillary central incisors (12 teeth, 9.8%). None of the patients had talon cusp in the mandibular teeth. The person prevalence was estimated at 2.95. Bilateral talon cusp was found in 24 patients. Conclusion: Talon′s cusp is a rare clinically evident dental anomaly. Careful observation during the routine dental examination can help in the early diagnosis of talon cusp and associated anomalies. This can help prevent the associated treatment problems and further complications.